SVHS puts ‘child development’ to bed

Decreasing enrollment to blame, says ?Principal Hawing|

Sonoma Valley High School will discontinue its Child Development elective at the end of this school year – a program which started more than 30 years ago and boasts current vice principal Andrew Ryan as a former student.

According to teacher Tricia Stones, there are currently 50 students enrolled in her two Child Development courses. Introduction to Child Development is an elective that has qualified for three units of college credit from Santa Rosa Junior College. In the advanced class, called Community Classroom, students work with children two days a week in local preschools and elementary schools.

The two-year program curriculum covers child developmental stages – and students take field trips to observe children and explore careers in education, health, social work, psychology, social work and law.

Lily Shapiro, who graduated from SVHS in 2014 after taking Child Development classes, is currently majoring in child psychology at Chapman University.

She expressed disappointment in the elective’s demise.

“I had the chance to figure out what I was really interested in while still in high school, and to build a resume by working as a volunteer in local schools,” said Shapiro. “It made me fall in love with working with children and solidified my professional aspirations.”

The Child Development elective may have placed more graduates into immediate local employment than any other elective at the high school.

“There are very few jobs for young professionals in Sonoma, but one career that is hiring is education,” said Stones. “Students leave our program with a resume and references and our graduates are currently employed at almost every preschool in town.”

A quick survey at the Little School on Broadway revealed that five teachers currently employed at the school took Stones’ classes. According to Stones, several current teachers and teachers aides at Prestwood, Dunbar, Sassarini and Flowery elementary schools were enrolled in the Child Development career elective, as well as SVHS teacher Krista McAtee.

Sonoma Valley High School Principal Kathleen Hawing said declining enrollment, and the availability of child-development courses at Santa Rosa Junior College, contributed to the decision to cut the elective.

“The enrollment numbers for child development have been in decline over the past few years and, unfortunately, student requests for the 2015-2016 school year will not sustain the offering of these classes at SVHS.”

No plans have been announced to cancel the one-day middle school Introduction to Child Development Careers program at Sonoma Valley High on May 8. This Step Up course, organized by the Sonoma County Office of Education’s career and technical education department, is billed as a peek inside electives offered by local high schools prior to freshman year. It is the only Step Up class offered at SVHS. Students interested in enrolling can register at www.stepupclass.org.

“I am upset to see the program ending,” said Stones. “But I feel blessed that for more than 15 years, I have been able to provide our future young adults with the knowledge and tools to care for children.”

‘(Child Development) made me fall in love with working with ?children and solidified my ?professional aspirations.

- SVHS grad Lily Shapiro

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